shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things, who have said, with our tongue will we prevail, our lips are our own; who is Lord over us?" "Lie not one to another." "ALL liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone."

"These passages will be sufficient to impress those who value the word of God with a dread of lying in general. Permit me, however, to consider more particularly some of the branches of this evil.

"It is a common thing for a person when he has done wrong, to tell lies in order to escape the blame which he justly deserves. And this is with many a very early habit, formed even in childhood, and continued throughout the whole course of life. Now, whenever such an occasion for lying occurs, let me request the person who is tempted, to pause for one moment, while he thus reasons with himself: "If I acknowledge my fault, I shall, it is true, be blamed; but what then? I shall have maintained my character for veracity. If I attempt to conceal my fault by telling a lie, it is probable that I shall be suspected, and my character for truth may be lost. And what confidence can be afterwards reposed in a person who is detected in telling a lie? Besides, I shall commit probably a much greater sin by telling a lie than I have already done. I shall also violate my conscience: and surely it is better that the whole world should know that I have done wrong, than that God and my conscience should be witnesses against me that I have told a lie."

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"I cannot but here remark, how seldom it is that people pay much regard to conscience. If they can conceal their faults from others, they think it a small matter that these faults are known to themselves. Now, a sacred reverence for conscience is the grand characteristic of a real Christian. He does not abstain from sin because his fellow-men would become acquainted with what he has done, and his character would be lost; neither does he do good in order to be seen and applauded by men: but in both cases he consults his own conscience; and it is because it is right, that he either does, or forbears to do any particular action. We should learn, therefore, to fear and reverence ourselves more than we do any one else.* How many persons do we meet with whose consciences are perfectly at ease, although they are in the habit of lying whenever they can thereby promote their worldly interests! If any appeal were made to their consciences whether they had committed any evil action during the day, they would, perhaps, boldly answer in the negative: and if reminded that they had told a lie, they would probably reply, "Oh, that is a mere trifle, not worth mentioning." Thus do men deceive themselves, while they adopt a standard of right and wrong,

* This maxim was adopted by that celebrated champion of civil and religious liberty, the late Gilbert Wakefield; though upon different motives; who, I think, somewhere says, “above all men reverence thyself." And I might add, as another motive, such is "the unkindness and uncharitableness" which many acknowledge they experience in their own communion, or religious community, that their faith would fail them, without this self-confidence---inward peace and love.---But more on this forthcoming. E. W.

wholly opposed to that which God has established in his word.

"It is here important to remark, that the true excellence of Christian principles is shown by our willingness to submit to loss or blame, rather than to commit sin. We are likely to be blamed for having done wrong; and this blame we may, perhaps, have it in our power to escape by telling a lie, which there is no chance that any one will be able to detect. Now, such cases as these occur perpetually in common life and it is by our conduct on such occasions, that we may ascertain whether we will preserve our integrity at the expense of suffering blame or reproach :—whether, in short, we are true Christians: for a true Christian had rather suffer the extremity of worldly evil, than incur the displeasure of his God.

"If direct lying is thus to be avoided, as highly sinful, all approaches to it ought equally to be avoided. The Christian, therefore, will take care that he does not, for instance, hastily make promises which he may be unable to perform. For, though he may at the time intend to perform them, yet, if they are made rashly, and without due consideration, and especially if he is conscious that he has been in the habit of promising too readily, he exposes himself to the danger of uttering a falsehood.

The

"The Christian will also guard as sedulously against equivocation as against a direct lie. miserable ingenuity of some persons, who think they have not been guilty of lying, because their words

have been so managed as to convey the false idea which they were intended to convey, while they admit of a construction consonant to truth, argues both a want of good sense, and a mean and disingenuous mind. Let such remember that God is not deceived by their sophistry. Liars they are, unquestionably, with a mean and despicable subtlety added to their lie. Such conduct ought therefore to be abhorred by every upright and ingenuous character."

But, alas! what must we think, what must we say, when we find the editor of the "Christian Observer" (a periodical publication in many points highly esteemed,) if not an enemy to the sincere believer's humble acknowledgment of God, in all his dealings, certainly confounding the humble Christian with the proud and ignorant enthusiast? In his review of Benson's account of the life of the pious Fletcher, he observes, in his strictures on the first chapter, where a remarkable deliverance from danger is noticed, that "the account of Fletcher's education is followed by some instances of his early piety and of his filial obedience and brotherly affection. But we were sorry to see several succeeding pages taken up with a relation of incidents which happened during his youth, and which, though sufficiently remarkable, are exhibited to view in a way which appears to us peculiarly objectionable. We allude to some instances of the preservation of his life, in circumstances of great danger; one of which, related in this work, appeared to Wesley to be so extraordinary, that he did not hesitate to affirm, that it " was a miracle, wrought probably by the ministry of angels." Nothing can be more injudicious, and we

will add, unscriptural, than declarations of this kind. Without recurring to the daily hair-breadth escapes which those experience who are engaged in a seafaring life, in the business of mining, and other perilous occupations, or who are obliged to meet an enemy in the field; we will venture to say that there are very few individuals who cannot recollect many singular deliverances from danger in the course of their lives. These, indeed, the true Christian will humbly and thankfully ascribe to the good providence of God. But he will beware of arrogating that miraculous interposition of divine power in his favour, for which he has no distinct warrant, either from scripture or revelation."

The Christian Observer, in his “ cursory remarks on superstition and enthusiasm," (ibid. 1805, p. 334,) attempts an illustration of the above extravagant notions of God's dealings with his people, as follows: "Enthusiasm may be considered, in one view of it, as consisting of unwarranted ideas of the nature of the relation between God and man. A Christian ought to be particularly careful to cherish no presumptuous hope of the divine favour, no extravagant or unfounded notions of divine communications. Under the influence of a sober judgment, while he feels his own nothingness as an individual, he will form the most lofty conceptions of God, and will view him as chiefly manifesting his wisdom by the general rules according to which he directs his administration. An enthusiast, on the other hand, entertains lofty notions of himself, and degrading ones of the Deity. The course of nature he conceives is to be regulated with a view to his interest.